Sony HT-AX7
Introductory price 600 €
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More and more people are watching their films/series on a device other than a television such as a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop. It is from this premise that the HT-AX7 was born: a concept combining the transportability of a portable speaker with the immersive sound reproduction offered by home-cinema systems. A kind of mini portable sound bar with two removable satellites in short.
The HT-AX7 therefore comes in the form of a large Lego, rather elegant, with a base containing all the controls, and two small removable pebbles serving as rear surround speakers. To enjoy immersive sound, simply place the base in front of you and detach the satellites to place them on either side of the listening position as shown in the photo above. The base is equipped with two loudspeakers in front supported by two passive radiators, while the satellites have a single loudspeaker directed upwards.
The promise of immersive sound but…
To immerse the user in the center of the stage, the HT-AX7 relies on 360 Spatial Sound technology, also present on Sony soundbars, which makes it possible to create several phantom speakers around the listener in order to reproduce the most immersive soundstage possible. However, the speaker is limited to playing stereo content that it transforms into multi-channel tracks following an upmix. Indeed, the HT-AX7 only works in Bluetooth: it is therefore impossible to play multichannel content mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 or in DTS Digital Surround. The lack of wifi connectivity and wired connectivity, such as an HDMI port, is therefore, in our view, a missed act on the part of Sony. At least the multipoint is in the game.
Who says Bluetooth says latency, but Sony ensures that it would be sufficiently contained so that we are not disturbed during the viewing of films; this is what we were able to observe during our handling of the product. However, it’s a safe bet that video games will remain impractical with this HT-AX7.
The satellites are magnetized at the base.
The HT-AX7 can also be used as a “classic” loudspeaker or constitute a sort of “multiroom system” made up of three loudspeakers (the base and the two satellites). The maximum range between the base and the satellites should be around ten meters. In addition, the speaker can be controlled using the Home Entertainment Connect app which includes installation tutorials, sound settings and indicates the remaining battery level. In this regard, the autonomy of the whole is announced around 30 hours.
The HT-AX7 will be marketed in September 2023 at a price of €600.